Laundry appliances



May 10, 1955 F. H. FIGURA LAUNDRY APPLIANCES Filed octfls. 1951 FIG.2.

- fiIVNTOR. FLORENlEIilf/Gg/RA,

av z ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent LAUNDRY APPLIANCES Florence H. Figura, Robertson,Mo.

Application October 15, 1951, Serial No. 251,286

5 Claims. (Cl. 38-111) This invention relates to improvements in laundryappli ances, and more particularly to an improved laundry rack forsupporting and protecting articles during the pressing thereof.

An important object is realized in providing a laundry holder andshielding member that is adapted to be positioned on the floor, inunderlying relation with an ironing board, and an elongated rackoperatively connected to the laundry holder by a collapsiblerack-supporting structure which normally supports and retains the rackin the preferred horizontal position at substantially the same workinglevel as the ironing board, but in spaced relation therewith. Thisstructure greatly facilitates the ironing of sheets, spreads,table-cloths and like laundry by affording a convenient supporting meansfor them as they are being pressed. The articles are protected asagainst soiling prior to ironing, and thereafter are folded or drapedover a supporting rack conveniently located at the rear of the pressingtable. The pressing of large flat pieces particularly may be carried outexpeditiously with the useof my improved rack.

An objective is attained by the inclusion of a swingable laundryprotector panel pivotally connected to the laundry holding member which,in use, disposed on the floor be contact and interfering with themovements of the presser.

I Still another object of the present invention is attained 2,707,841Patented May 10, 1955 dry protector and rack assembly, generallydesignated at and later fully described, will be expanded and normallylocated in the shown operative position with respect to any of thecommon types of ironing boards, one of which is indicated at 11 andillustrated by broken lines.

A laundry holder and shielding floor panel 12 of the device 10 providesa floor frame 13 consisting of a right stantially rectangularly shapedstructure, the swingable frame 15 consisting of spaced, opposite sideportions and an end portion that connects an end region of each of theside portions of frame 15. The other end regions of the side portions offrame 15 are pivotally connected by pins 16 to the other end regions ofthe side portions of floor frame 13. The above description reveals apreferred construction of the framework of the respective laundryprotecting panels 12 and 14, yet should be under- I stood in aninformative sense, it not being intended to in an auxiliary rackassembly having structural and other useful features especially adaptingthe same for the reception of the larger articles which may befoldeddirectly thereupon during the ironing process, and otherwiseprovide additional rack space for clothes hangers.

Itis also an important object hereof to provide a combined laundryprotector and rack device which is especially simple, practical, compactand durable in construction, easy to clean and inexpensive tomanufacture, and particularly a device of this character that may becollapsed into folded arrangement for storage or shipping purposes, andreadily expanded into a condition for use. I The foregoing and otherobjects of the invention will more clearly appear from the followingdetailed'description of a preferred embodiment, particularly whenconsidered in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the combined laundry protector and rackassembly shown in operative position with an ironing board;

- Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view' ofthe protector and rack assemblyshown in Fig. l, and r Fig. 3 is a side view of the laundry protectorand rack assembly in a folded, partly closed position.

Referring now by characters of reference to. the drawrestrict.

The swingable protector panel 14, and hence swingable frame 15 islimited in its extended angular displacement by a stop means whichconsists of inturned tabs 17, formed from the end of the side portionsof floor frame 13 in such manner as to abut and engage the adjacent sideportions of the swingable frame 15 upon displacement of frame 15 from afolded, nested position within the U- shaped frame 13 to the positionshown in Fig. l. apparent that the stop means interconnects the adjacentside portions of the frames 13 and 15 to limit the angular displacementof and to retain the swingable frame 13 in an extended, inclinedposition.

A flexible material 18, for example canvas or other washable cloth, isdetachably secured to the frames 13 and 15, the canvas substantiallycovering and bridging the underside of the cooperating frames 13 and 15,to provide panel members 12 and 14. The end portions of the canvas 18are looped respectively over the end portion 19 of the U-shaped floorframe 13 and over the end portion 20 of swingable frame 15, anddetachably secured by a plurality of snap fasteners 21. This detachableconnection permits the canvas to be disassembled quickly and easily fromabout the panel frames, washed and as rapidly re-assembled for use. Ofcourse, it is apparent that each laundry protecting panel may be ing, itmay be noted from Fig. 1 that the combined laun constructed of aseparate rigid or flexible sheet material,

but the construction described provides a preferred assembly intheinterests of realizing a compact, lightweight, easy to clean laundryprotector.

When the novel device 10 is expanded and in use, the

larger laundry holding panel 12 is located on the floor,

in underlying position with respect to the ironing board 11, and theswingable panel 14 is maintained in 'an upwardly inclined position (Fig.l). The panels cooperate to provide a clean container, which holds theunironed laundry, and hence prevents it from being soiled by con tactwith the floor. In addition to other functions, the swingable panel 14serves to guide and'direct the unironed' portion, of the article beingironed, upwardly to the overlying ironing board 11, and is disposed atan angle from the floor such that ample space is provided thepersonironing for complete freedom of movement.

A collapsible rack assembly is secured to and supported by thehorizontally disposedlaundry holding panel '12, in the region oppositethe pivotal connection of swingable panel 14, the assembly including abar 22 normally supported and retained in a horizontal plane,substantially at the level of the ironing board 11. The rack assemblyfurther provides right angle extension arms 23 secured at one end toeach extremity of bar 22, and extended downwardly, as viewed in Figs. 1and 2, for pivotal connection with coacting right angle. extensionarms'24. The latter extension arms 24 normally lie with one endportionin overlapping relation with an arm 23, and with the Opposite endpivotally attached by pins .25 to the inner face of the side portionadjacent end portion 19 of the U-shaped floor 13. The pivotedextensionarms 23and 24 are arranged so that 'the'lower angle arms '24 open towardthe swingable panel 14, and the upper angle arms 23 overlap therespective cooperating arm24 and open outwardly toward the oppositeendof the U-shaped frame 13. This arrangementattains greater strength andrigidity in the support of bar 22, and provides a stop means whichlimits the pivotal movement of and locks the extension arms 23 and 24 inthe fully extended, alignedposition shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Braces'26are pivotally fastened at one end thereof by pins 27 to theouter face of .an upper extension arm'23, at a point above the,pivotconnection 28, and have the opposite end pivoted to the end of the sideportion adjacent the end portion of the U-shaped floor frame '13. Thesebraces '26 serve to reinforce the locking action of the coactingextension arms 23 and 24, the'braces 26 and extension arms'23 and-24constituting ,a rack-supporting means that serves to maintain andsupport the raised bar 22 in substantially the plane of the ironingboard 11, but in horizontally spacedrelation therewith. In the extendedposition, as the article is ironed, it maybe folded over the' bar 22without permitting any portion to become soiled or wrinkled from contactwith the floor, and hence be arranged immediately for storage or useafter a single ironing.

Bar 22 is of a tubular structure, and is of sufficient internal diameterand length to receive andhouse an auxiliary bar 29, the latter barproviding a gripping portion 30 whichprojects from bar 22 and whichmaybe utilized to extend the slidable auxiliary bar to any selectiveposition on either side of bar 22. Without intending to restrict, it maybe noted as a preference that the movable auxiliary bar 29 isconstructed of solid wood, and is fitted with reasonably close'tolerancein bar '22. When slidably moved to an extended position, the auxiliarybar 29 may serve the same function as and assist bar 22 in supportingthe finished ironed material in a folded or draped arrangement as itleaves-the ironing board 11, or-the auxiliary bar maybe usedconveniently to support hangers.

Fig. 3 shows the combined laundry protector and rack assembly in acollapsed, partly closed position. The swingable-frame has-beenangularly displacedto an overlapping and nesting relation with thecooperating horizontal floor frame 13. Also, the interlocking relationbetween the pivoted right angle extension arms 23 and '24 has beenbroken, thereby permi-ttingthe arms'to be folded in nested arrangementwithin the U-shaped frame 13. Thus, it is obvious that the laundryprotector and rack assembly is particularly adaptable by its novelconstruction, to bequickly and easily collapsed into a convenientcompact form for storage or shipping.

The use of the laundry protector and rack device '10 is thought to havebecome apparent-from the foregoing detailed description, but inthe'interests offurther clarity and completeness, it will be notedthatthe assembly may bereadily expanded for use-by-placing thelarger laundrypanel 12 horizontally on the floor,--raising the=bar=22 to the uppermostposition as shown in Fig.1,locking theextensionvarms 23 and 24 in rigidalignment,-and-raising the swingable panel 14 to the position determinedby' the stop tabs 17. The horizontal floor panel 12 is moved to aposition underlying the ironing table such't-hat bar 22 Willi-be locatedsubstantially parallel to.and -in-spaced relation with the ironing boardmargin opposite the operator. When expanded and placed in this position,as in Fig. 1, the laundry protector and rack device is ready for use.

The operator then places the unironed laundry upon the canvas coveredpanels and proceeds to iron. As an article is ironed, the operator foldsor drapes the finished portion over bar 22, reversing the material fromone side of the rack to the other, without permitting any portion tocontact the floor. If the article being ironed is very large, forexample a sheet, curtain or bed-spread, it may be advisable andconvenient to extend the auxiliary bar 29, which augments the effectivelength of rack structure. The use of the rack. assembly in this mannerpermits the finished ironed article to be folded for storage orimmediate use with only a single ironing operation.

The unironed portion of the material is contained by the canvas coveredpanels, thus. protecting the ,article from being soiled. .The'frontswingable panel 14 assists in containing the laundry, serves to directand guide the unironed portion upwardly to the ironing board, andprovides the maximum shielding area yet provides ample leg and footspace for the operator.

Although the invention has been described by making detailed referenceto a single preferred embodiment, such detail is to be understood in aninstructive, rather than in any restrictive sense, many variants beingpossible within the scope of the claims hereunto appended.

'I claim ,as my invention:

1. In a'laundry protector and rack assembly, the laundry protectorcomprising a floor frame having opposite side portions and an endportion, a swingable frame having opposite side portions and an endportion, one end region of each side portion of the swingable framebeing pivotally attached to oneend region of each side portion of thefloor frame, a-stop means carried by a side portion of one of saidframes and cngageable with an adjacent side portion of the other saidframe, said stop means retaining the swingable frame in an extended,inclined position, a flexible material substantially bridging theframes, said material being detachably secured to the respective endportions of each frame, the rack assembly being of inverted U-shape, thelegs of the U-shaped rack comprising a pair of pivotally connectedextension arms, and the connecting member of said U-shaped rackcomprising a bar, one of said arms of each leg being secured to thebar,the other arm of eachleg being pivotally connected to a side portion ofthe floor frame adjacent the end portion, a stop means interconnectingsaid extension arms which limits thepivotal, movement of. and locks theextension arms in extended position, and a brace connected to one ofsaid extension arms at a distance spaced from the pivotal connection ofsaid arms, and connected to a portion of said fioor frame.

2. In a laundry protector and rack assembly, the laundryprotectorcomprising a floor frame having opposite sideportions and an endportion, a swingable framehaving opposite side portions and an endportion, one end region of each sideportion of the swingable frame beingpivotally attached to one end region of each side portion of thefloorframe, a stop means carried by a side portion of the floor frame,said stop means being adapted to abut the adjacent-side portion of theswingable frame, whereby to retain the swingable framein .an extendedposition, a flexible material substantially bridging the frames, saidmaterial being detachably secured to the respective end portions of eachframe, the rack assembly being of inverted U-shape, theJegs of theU-shaped rack comprising a pair of pivotally connected extension arms,and; the. conmeeting member of said U-shapcd rack comprising a bar, oneof the arms of each leg being secured to the bar, the other arm of eachleg-being pivotally connected'to aside portion of the floor-frameadjaeent'the endportion, a stop means-interconnecting adjacentportionsof said extensionarms-which limits pivotal movement of and locksto one end region of each side portion of the floor frame, 1'

a stop means interconnecting adjacent side portions of the frames whichlimits the angular displacement of the swingable frame, a flexiblematerial substantially bridging the frames, said material beingdetachably connected to the respective end portions of each frame, therack assembly being of inverted U-shape, the legs of the U-shaped rackcomprising a pair of pivotally connected extension arms, and theconnecting member of said U-shaped rack comprising a bar, one of saidarms of each leg being connected to said bar, the other said arm of eachleg being pivotally connected to a portion of the floor frame, stopmeans interconnecting adjacent portions of said arms to retain said armsin extended position, and a brace pivotally connected to an armconnected to the bar and pivotally connected to a portion of the floorframe.

4. In a laundry protector and rack assembly, the laundry protectorcomprising a floor frame normally located in a horizontal position onthe floor, the floor frame having spaced side portions and an endportion connected to an end region of each side portion, a swingableframe I) having spaced side portions and an end portion connected to anend region of each side portion, the opposite end regions of the sideportions of the swingable frame being pivotally attached to the oppositeend regions of the side portions of the floor frame, a stop meansinterconnecting adjacent side portions of the frames that limits theangular displacement of and normally retains the swingable frame in anextended, inclined position, a flexible material substantially bridgingthe frames and detachably secured to the respective end portions of eacha frame, the rack assembly being of inverted U-shape, the legs of theU-shaped rack comprising a pair of pivotally connected extension arms,and the connecting member comprising a bar, one of the arms of each legbeing secured to the bar, the other arm of each leg being pivotallyconnected to the opposite end region of a side portion of thehorizontally disposed frame and pivotally connected in overlappingrelation to the first mentioned of said extension arms, stop meansinterconnecting adjacent overlapping portions of said arms to retainsaid arms in o extended position, and a brace pivotally connected at oneend to one of said extension arms and at the opposite end to the floorframe.

5. In a laundry protector and rack assembly adapted for use with anironing board, the laundry protector comprising a laundry shieldingfloor frame normally disposed in a horizontal position on the floorunderlying the ironing board, the floor frame being substantially of aU- shaped configuration having an end portion and spaced side portions,a swingable laundry protector frame of substantially rectangularconfiguration having an outermost end portion and spaced side portions,one end region of each side portion of the swingable frame beingpivotally connected to the free end region of each side portion of thefloor frame so as to adapt the swingable frame to lie in nested relationto the floor frame when in folded position, a stop means on a sideportion of the floor frame which limits the angular displacement of theswingable frame, and serves to retain the swingable frame in an expandedinclined position, a flexible material substantially bridging the saidframes, and detachably secured about the respective end portions of eachframe, the rack assembly being of inverted U-shape, the legs of theU-shaped rack comprising a pair of pivotally connected extension arms,and the connecting member of said U-shaped rack comprising an elongatedtubular bar, an auxiliary bar slidably received and contained in thetubular bar, and adapted to be extended to augment the effective lengthof the tubular bar, an extension arm of each leg secured to the tubularbar, the second coacting extension arm of each leg having one endthereof pivotally connected to the opposite end region of a side portionof the floor frame, with the opposite arm end portion overlapping andpivotally connected to the first said extension arm, stop meansinterconnecting adjacent portions of said arms to retain said arms inextended position, and a brace having one end pivotally attached to anextension arm secured to the tubular bar and the opposite end pivotallyattached to the floor frame, the extension arms and brace being adaptedto retain the bars in extended position at substantially the same planeas the ironing board, and being adapted to collapse into a compact,folded arrangement.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS172,051 Paul Jan. 11, 1876 494,654 Smith Apr. 4, 1893 650,663 WhitcherMay 29, 1900 719,433 Carroll Feb. 3, 1903 2,340,540 Lange Feb. 1, 19442,445,403 Mayerman July 20, 1948 2,473,047 Bershad June 14, 1949

